Safe Harbour is getting ready to upgrade its detox services as part of the province’s response to the opioid crisis.
Last week Alberta Health held a press conference to discuss how it has been expanding detox and treatment services for those addicted to opioids. Locally, Alberta Health Services is providing $400,000 in annual funding to convert the 20-bed social detox at Central Alberta’s Safe Harbour Society for Health and Housing’s into a 20-bed medical detox to provide medical intervention for alcohol and drug addiction.
Executive director Kath Hoffman said upgrading to a medical detox will help more than just those addicted to opioids.
“We’ve recognized the need for medical supports for this population for a very long time, before the opioid crisis,” Hoffman said.
She said right now crystal meth is the biggest problem for Safe Harbour’s clients, followed by fentanyl, heroine and alcohol.
“Our detox is usually full.”
She said clients who use a lot of opioids have been transferred to Edmonton or Calgary because Red Deer has not had a medical detox. Soon they will be able to stay. But the number of beds will not increase when the medical detox opens and there are always people on the wait list.
She said sometimes people on opioids have to stay longer in detox which will also impact local access to detox.
Safe Harbour is currently working to prepare for the medical supports coming soon that will include registered nurses on shift and doctors coming in daily, she said.
Preparations are also underway at Safe Harbour to reopen the Warming Centre for Red Deer’s homeless population.
“Winter is coming. Warming Centre is opening Nov. 1. Anybody who has some boots or jackets or anything like that, we need them,” Hoffman said.
For more information about Safe Harbour visit its new website at www.safeharboursociety.org.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter